Anthony Herzen
"I'm so happy we met, my dear granddaughter." Anthony "Anton" Herzen is a main character and antagonist in Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. He was the duke of Folsense and Katia's grandfather. Profile Appearance As a young man, Anton had long blonde hair and blue-based turquoise eyes. He was rather pale from spending years inside the castle, and he wore a long blue coat, strongly reminiscent of the vampire character he pretended to be. When the illusion of Folsense lifted, Anton was revealed to be an old man. His hair had gone white from age, and his outfit was old and worn. Personality Anton had a very complex character. Before the disaster, he was modest and polite, having been raised as an aristocrat. He disliked being high up in society, implying that he was humble. Being with Sophia made him very happy; he was devastated when she left him, while not knowing why frustrated him further. From then on, Anton became withdrawn, harboring a hatred for betrayal above everything else. Though he never truly forgave Sophia for leaving, he was happier with her reasoning, and behaved more like he did fifty years before. His affection towards Sophia showed that he was extremely devoted, caring, and loving towards her. This shows how different a person Anton was when he was with Sophia. Plot Anton's Story Fifty years prior to the main plot, Anton met the love of his life, a young lady named Sophia. They first met at one of Duke Herzen's parties, and soon afterwards they were engaged. Sophia was the youngest daughter of another wealthy family living in Folsense, a worthy fit for the son of a Duke. Not long afterwards however, a horrible disease struck the town. Anton wrote in his diary that he could have coped with the disaster so long as Sophia was there by his side. But, unknown to Anton at the time, Sophia was pregnant, and ran away from Folsense to protect their child from the fatal disease. Soon after her departure, Duke Herzen died from the disease, handing his title to Anton. Anton, being the current duke, remained in the castle for years, living alone (except for his butler, Nigel) severely depressed and angered, thinking that Sophia had left him for another man. When news came that thieves were stealing his family gold from the mines, Anton decided to play the part of a vampire. Anyone who came too close to the mines or his castle were caught and locked in the cellars, then let loose after they had been thoroughly frightened so they could spread rumours around Folsense of a vampire living in Herzen Castle. Virtually all of the nobles and old families who knew Anton beforehand had evacuated or died, so there was no one left to disprove the rumours. Before Sophia left, he had the Elysian Box made for them, appearing to be a simple jewellery box. It had a secret compartment in the base that only he and Sophia could open, the lock inspired by an old saying. When Sophia left, Anton decided to put a message for her in the compartment, and asked a passing traveler to take it to her. But unfortunately, because of the value of the box, it was stolen multiple times, and Anton gave up hope of it ever reaching her. ''Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box'' "Are you listening, Sophia? I'll have to put off returning to your side for a while. There's someone I need to get to know here first.' Will you forgive me for making you wait just a little longer, my dear?"'' '''- Old Anton granting Sophia's wish When Professor Layton and Luke come to Herzen Castle to find out more about the town's secrets, Anton and his butler greet them as they walk through the great room. After a short talk about the Elysian Box, Anton allows the two heroes to stay the night at Herzen Castle. As Layton and Luke sleep, Anton does as he normally does with anyone who comes too close to Herzen Castle; he ties them up (poorly) and locks them away in one of the storage rooms in the castle cellars. Layton and Luke use their masterful wits to escape their binds and free themselves from the locked room. After venturing through the lowest levels of the castle, he notices the large caverns below that lead into the old abandoned gold mine. When Anton sees that they have escaped, he doesn't act too surprised, until he notices Katia. He mistakes her for his dear Sophia, believing that Layton is the reason that she left him. Anton orders Layton to pick any sword he fancies off the display, but that only one of them is real. He hints to Layton about the real sword, that "A true warrior always keeps his blade in hand." Layton, realizing the clue, draws a sword from a suit of armour's hand and faces Anton in a duel. The two have a fierce battle and it shows that Anton is relentless as he almost cuts Layton's head off, but he ducks and his hat falls from his head for a brief second. In the climax of their fight, Anton quickly loses his breath and becomes too tired to fight, despite looking so strong and healthy. Katia begs her grandfather to stop, shocking Anton, who believes himself too young to be anyone's grandfather. She tells him the depressing truth about Folsense, and that Sophia had left him because she was pregnant with Katia's mother; Anton's daughter, who died soon after Katia was born. The town of Folsense was a city that had much prosperity due to the rich gold mine built by Duke Herzen, but something that would bring the town to ruin also slept within those mines. It turns out that there was hallucinogenic gas down in the deep caverns of the gold mine. All who breathed this gas succumbed to mental suggestion of all types and this fate struck Anton as well. Katia explains this truth to Anton and that Sophia didn't want anything to happen to her and his child. She then tells him that Sophia had passed away a year ago, causing Anton to fly into a rage of disbelief, slicing through a pot and a pedestal. Then he goes to Layton and accidentally cuts a chain holding a massive chandelier in the ceiling of the room. The chandelier crashes into the floor. The castle begins to collapse, and the hole leading to the mines is then blocked by the castle's falling debris. With the rubble and ruins of Herzen Castle filling the pit of Folsense Mine, the illusion of Folsense is lifted, and Anton's true form is revealed: he is an elderly man with wrinkles and long white hair. He realizes the mistake he made in his anger, not believing his own granddaughter. Luke shows him the Elysian Box/Pandora's Box, and Anton says that he put a hidden message for Sophia in a secret compartment in it, the way to unlock it being from an old saying. When Luke solves the puzzle and opens the box, Anton is shocked to find that his message had been replaced by a reply from his beloved Sophia, written a short time before her passing. In the letter, she expresses how he had never left her thoughts, why she had left, and that her time in the world was drawing to a close. She wishes for Anton to spend his remaining years with Katia, and that she will be waiting for him on 'the other side'. Greatly moved, Anton looks toward the heavens, and asks for Sophia's forgiveness. He says he has to keep her waiting a little while longer so he can get to know a certain somebody. He looks away with tears in his eyes. After fifty years of sorrow, Anton finally has a reason to delight in life again. Quotes Young Anton *''"Good evening. Welcome to my house."'' *''"So, if I understand correctly, you're saying people fear the box because they believe it kills anyone who opens it? That's quite a story, isn't it."'' *''"It's true that it was a Herzen family heirloom, although I parted with it a number of years ago. The garish emblem you mentioned wasn't exactly -ah- suited to my taste."'' *''"Fear not, my dear. They're just the main course for this evening. And, my, don't they look fresh."'' *''"Don't be ridiculous. Look at me! I'm too young to be anyone's grandfather."'' *''"Enough of this madness. Folsense is real... I'm real..."'' *''"Am I not dear to you, Sophia? Stay with me, and we'll rebuild Folsense together."'' *''"I trusted Sophia, and she left me for another!"'' *''"What's this? Heh, heh. Very well then. Is this how it is? I didn't see this coming, Layton. Not at all."'' *''"Ha, ha, ha, ha! There's no lack of swords here. Take whichever one you like. Know this though. Only one of them is real. A true warrior always keeps his blade in hand."'' *''"I didn't think you had it in you, Mr. Layton!"'' *''"LAAAAYTON! Sophia belongs to me! You can't have her! YAAAA!"'' *''"Oh, how I've waited! It's been so unbearably long... Come closer. My dear, sweet Sophia! I've missed you so!"'' *''"Something strange is happening... I just need to catch my breath."'' *''"Sophia is...dead? No, it can't be! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES!"'' Old Anton *''"Oh, I assure you, it's far from ordinary. This box was crafted to hold the words of my heart."'' *''"The box contains a hidden message, one meant only for Sophia."'' *''"And so it was stolen again and again, thus perpetuating the whole chain of sad events."'' *''"The sun rises when you and I meet, and when the wind blows, you will know my heart."'' *''"These old words are the key to understanding this box and what it means. Do you follow, boy?"'' *''"This isn't the letter I wrote! This is Sophia's handwriting! The box must have made it to her after all!"'' *''"Oh, Sophia... I finally understand now."'' *''"It's been so long. So long in fact that I'd forgotten what love even felt like. Instead, my love for Sophia was replaced by anger and that anger completely blinded me."'' *''"But now I can see the world clearly now. Thanks to you, my granddaughter."'' *''"Are you listening, Sophia? I'll have to put off returning to your side for a while. There's someone I need to get to know here first."'' *''"Will you forgive me for making you wait just a little longer, my dear?"'' Puzzles Anton does not directly give Layton and Luke any puzzles before the ending sequence. Although entering Herzen Castle requires them to solve at least three puzzles. During the ending sequence, Anton gives Layton and Luke the puzzles "One True Sword" and the last puzzle "The Elysian Box". Anton also gives the Professor the puzzle "The Diabolical Box Reopened" (The Hidden Door of Unwound Future) that can be seen in the Unwound future game. Images Image:PL2Profile07.png|Profile in the Diabolical Box Anton's Explination.png Younger_Anton.jpg|His first appearance. Anton Dance 52.png Anton and Sophia's dance.png Sophia und Anthony.png Nolackofswords.png|"There's no lack of swords here..." DB Credits 1.png DB Credits 2.png DB Credits 3.png DB Credits 4.png DB Credits 11.gif DB Credits 13.gif DB Credits 18.png Trivia * The character of Anton could possibly have been influenced by the Phantom of the Opera, both having many rumours and mysteries surrounding them, and both slicing through the chains holding a chandelier, leading to devastation. *Professor Layton, Anton Herzen, Jean Descole and Lando Ascad are so far the only characters who can swordfight/fence. * In the secret room of Unwound Future, Anton refers to himself as "Anthony". This is assumed to be his actual name, as at the 'Puzzle Solved' screen, he says "Don't tell anyone my real name, though...". * He does not appear to like his 'real' name. * The in-game item, Old Diary, is the diary Anton had fifty years ago. * Anton appears on another game called Inazuma Eleven (which is another different game franchise of Level 5) and appears on a team called the Layton Team but it is only a brief appearance and his team may not be even challenged. This team includes Professor Layton, Luke, Flora, Don Paolo, Inspector Chelmey and Anton Herzen. de:Anthony Herzen es:Anthony Herzen Category:Characters Category:Antagonists